It’s Monday and I’m happy to be participating in a weekly event with a community of bloggers who post reviews of books that they have read the previous week. Check out more IMWAYR posts here: Jen from Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee and Ricki from Unleashing Readers
Last week, I posted the first of a two part blog featuring 2016 picture books. (You can read that post here) This week, I’m excited to be continuing with Part 2 – and happy to be sharing MORE amazing new books for 2016!
The Whale – Vita Murrow
Two children are out to prove that the rumored Giant Spotted Whale in their town is either real or a myth. Amazing, captivating wordless picture book. My, oh my – the illustrations are amazing, each page filled with extraordinarily detailed black and white images Can you say Caldecott nomination?
Ollie’s Odyssey – William Joyce
A beautifully written and illustrated story about the love between a boy and his favorite toy. (Think Edward Tulane and Velvatine Rabbit) Bravery, friendship, loyalty – this book is magical.
Everyone – Christopher Silas Neal
A simple exploration of empathy – this is one to add to your collection of “feeling” books! What makes it different is that it not only invites young readers to explore how we feel and what we feel but introduces the notion of how others feel. Wonderful retro-illustrations.
Jack’s Worry – Sam Zuppardi
A lovely ‘connect’ book to talk about worries with kids and not letting them overwhelm you. I enjoyed how the worry was depicted as a ‘thing’ (think Whimsy’s Heavy Thing) making it a great anchor for personification.
Frank and Lucky Get Schooled – Lynne Rae Perkins
WOW! One of my favorite books of the year so far! A profound and delightful exploration of the subjects we learn in school, told through the eyes of both a boy and a dog. Endearing friendship between the two – this book brings me joy! (Thanks for introducing this to me Leslie!)
Lionheart – Richard Collingridge
Excellent ‘facing your fears’ story. Gorgeous illustrations and little text tells the story of a boy and his stuffed lion as they explore lost cities and jungles while running away from a monster.
Barnacle is Bored – Jonathan Fenske
Bored barnacle is bored of his uneventful life stuck to a pier and wishes for a more exciting life – like those fish. Until…. be careful what you wish for! This one had me laughing and would be great book to introduce ‘theme’ or ‘message’ to younger readers.
Playing From the Heart – Peter H. Reynolds
A little sad, a little sentimental, Peter H. Reynolds is pulling on our heartstrings once again. This time, the story is about a young boy who loves to play piano and who is eventually trained to become a classical pianist. Later he learns that the joy he felt from playing was when he played from the heart. Might be more for adults and piano teachers but I enjoyed it.
Maybe Something Beautiful: How Art Transformed a Neighborhood – F. Isabel Campoy & Theresa Howell
Inspiring, beautiful story about mural painting bringing beauty to a drab neighborhood. Based on the true story of the transformation of the East Village near downtown San Diego. Simple text and vibrant, colorful illustrations by illustrator Rafael Lopez who did the original mural.
Finding Wild – Megan Wagner Llyod
Finding nature and “wild” in the spaces and places around us. Stunning. Beautiful. Mysterious. Another favorite picture book so far this year! Love, love, love this story & the STUNNING illustrations. I want to keep it under my pillow! Gorgeous figurative language and vivid imagery – this book is a magnificent anchor book for writing. A feast for all the senses!
Have You Seen Elephant? – David Barrow
Lighthearted game of hide-and-seek between a boy and an elephant. I can see how this book would be a very entertaining read-aloud with a younger group as they help the boy ‘find’ the elephant. Even includes a ‘plot twist’ at the end! Pallet is muted but lots of textures and details. Delightful.
The Dead Bird – Margaret Wise Brown
Simple and sensitive approach to death and the celebration of life by a small community of children after they discover a dead bird in the park. Would be a good book to begin a conversation about death with primary children. many will connect to loss of a pet or possibly to a grandparent.
Well, I may need an Part 3 next week as there are STILL so many books I have not yet shared. But for now.. thanks for stopping by and would love to know which book has caught your eye!
Wow! So many picture books that I need to add to my list. Thanks for sharing!
I know! Too many to chose from! I think some are more relevant to younger students so depending on your audience, you wouldn’t need to buy them all. Except for me – I buy them all!
Such beauty in all of these, Adrienne. I loved The Whale, thought it was extraordinary too. I’ll put the others on my list to find. Thank you!
Hello, Linda! Yes, The Whale is extraordinary – but I also loved Finding Wild (amazing writing) and Frank and Lucy Get Schooled – so original! You will LOVE them both! Have a great week!
The Whale sounds especially interesting – captivating illustrations!
The Whale is an amazing wordless book – so many details to “read” on each page. Would inspire great writing! I can’t wait to use it next fall with some of my students! Another book to inspire writing is Finding Wild – the language and imagery is extraordinary!
There are some gorgeous covers in this collection of books Adrienne. Like others before me, the Whale looks fascinating, but I also love the cover of Finding wild. I thought The Dead Bird was shallow, but then I read it shortly after my mother’s death, so that could have been an important factor in what I took out of it.